Apparatus for providing physical health treatment



March 24, 1936. A. D. RAWLINGS APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING PHYSICAL HEALTHTREATMENT Filed Feb. 25, 1 935 Patented Mar. 24, 1936 PATENT APPARATUSFOR PROVIDING PHYSICAL HEALTH TREATMENT Arthur Daniel Rawlings, Barnes,England Application February 25, 1935, Serial No. 8,057

- In Great Britain February 27, 1934 7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for providing physical healthtreatment and has for its object the provision of improved apparatuswhose application will inter alia efiect weight reduction particularlyin the region of the waist and atthe same time will provide healthgiving exercise.

The invention consists broadly of a belt provided with means whereby thewearer may alternately increase and decrease the tension of said belt.

In order that the invention may be the more clearly understood a belt inaccordance therewith will now be described, reference being made to theaccompanying drawing wherein:-

Fig. 1 is a face view of the belt in its open position.

Fig. 2 is a view of the belt in use.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an integral part of the belt. 7

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a modified form of one of the elements shownin Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a further modified form of said element.

Referring to Figures 1-3, the belt proper l is some ten inches widethroughout the major portion of its length and narrows somewhat towardsits two ends as shown where it is attached to fastening straps 2 and 3the latter of which is provided with a buckle. Part of the belt iselastic so that it is free to contract and expand with the waist of thewearer while exercises are being performed as hereinafter described.

Connected to iastenings 4 mounted on the belt at the region of each sideof the wearer and at points spaced apart transversely of the belt aresay three flexible steel or elastic strands 5. These three strands 5extend round the belt parallel to one another passing, at the centre ofthe belt, under respective guide loops 6, and, when they reach the otherside of the wearer, they pass under respective grooved pulley wheels Ispaced apart transversely of the belt. From these pulley wheels 1 thestrands 5 extend to a common 45 handle 8.

It will be seen that the pulley wheels I appertaining to one set of thestrands 5 are spaced across the belt at the roughly same region as the ofastenings 4 appertaining to the other set of the strands. In practicethese pulleys I and fastenings 4 are located more or less in a rowtraversing the belt, with the pulleys I and fastenings 4 arrangedalternately. In order to maintain the 55 strands 5 of the two setsparallel the arrangement of the pulleys 'l and fastenings 4 of the tworows is reversed so that each pulley of one row is-opposite to afastening of the other as shown.

In use the belt is strapped on the wearer with 5 the centre guide loops6 either at the front or at the back, the handles 8 are taken in the twohands and the arms are swung alternately outwards (say to the positionshown in Fig. 2) and inwards. As the arms are swung outwards the 10flexible steel or elastic strands 5 are stretched and this in effectincreases the tightness of the belt. At the same time, the waist isnaturally contracted by the outward movement of the arms. Thus the beltis alternately tightened and loos- 15 ened around the waist inconformity with the natural contraction and expansion of the waistcaused by the exercise. Usually the tightening of the belt duringoutward movement exceeds the natural contraction of the waist so thatthe ten- 20 sion is increased during the outward movement of the arms.The general effect is that of abdominal or back massage during the timethat health giving and waist reducing exercise is being performed. Theresult is that of extensive and 25 harmless waist reduction.

In construction the fastening 4 and pulleys l at each side of the wearerare mounted on a common flexible metal plate 9 (Fig. 3) let into thematerial of the belt. This metal plate 9 carries 30 three integralstamped sheet metal brackets I0 each of which comprise three outwardlyprojecting lugs two of which ll constitute bearings for the shaft of apulley l and the third of which constitutes a fastening 4. The strands 5are connected to the fastenings 4 by means of clips l2 which may be ofthe dog leash type and which engage in holes in the fastenings 4 asshown.

The two flexible metal plates 9 together with v the brackets [0 whichthey carry are made identical with one another but are arranged thereverse way up so that the pulleys l of each will be opposite to thefastenings l of the other as hereinbefore stated.

The six guide loops 6 for the two sets of strands 5 are all constitutedas shown by a single strip of material sewn transversely of the belt andlooped at intervals.

The belt I may suitably be made in five sections, viz. a small centresection la of ordinary 5O fabric carrying the strip of material formingthe guide loops 6, two end sections lb of ordinary fabric, in which themetal plates 9 are respectively included, and two intermediate sectionslc of elastic ,fabric between said centre section la and said endsections l b. These intermediate sections lc give the belt the requiredelasticity.

The handles 8 may each consist as shown of a handle proper 8a and a loopof thick stiff metal wire 8b formed at one side with three small loopsto which the strands 5 are respectively connected by means of similarclips to those which connect them to the fastenings.

In Fig. 4, the arrangement shown in the preceding figures, is modifiedby the lugs H being made of increased height as shown at Ila, and tworollers la being mounted between each pair of lugs. In this arrangementthe strands 5 pass between the rollers la of each pair so that there isa roller above, as well as beneath, each strand.

In Fig. 5 only a single roller lb is mounted on each bracket H3, andthis roller is adapted to pivot about an axis 13 at right angles to itsown axis. Thus the lugs llb are made in a plane parallel to the axis ofthe roller lb instead of at right angles as in the precedingarrangements, and said roller is mounted on a separate bracket M whichis pivotally mounted between the two lugs about the said axis I3. Bymeans of this arrangement the rollers remain in correct engagement withthe strands even when the latter are pulled out of their normal line.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A belt structure for simultaneously providing exercise and affordingbody treatment, comprising a belt proper adapted to be independentlyfastened around the waist of the wearer, handles to be held respectivelyin the hands of the wearer, flexible strands connected at one end ofsaid handles and at the other end to said belt proper at points ofattachment spaced around said belt proper, and guide elements for saidstrands mounted on said belt proper whereby the strands extending to therespective handles are guided round said belt proper so that from theirpoints of attachment they extend past one another in oppositedirections, whereby the wearer, by alternately drawing said handles awayfrom, and returning them towards, said belt proper, may alternatelyincrease and decrease the tension thereof.

2. A belt structure for simultaneously providing exercise and affordingbody treatment, comprising a resilient belt proper adapted to beindependently fastened around the waist of the wearer, handles to beheld respectively in the hands of the wearer, resilient strandsconnected at one end to said handles and at the other end to said beltproper at points of attachment spaced around said belt proper, and guideelements for said strands mounted on said belt proper whereby thestrands extending to the respective handles are guided round said beltproper so that from their points of attachment they extend past oneanother in opposite directions, whereby the wearer, by alternatelydrawing said handles away from, and returning them towards, said beltproper, may alternately increase and decrease the tension thereof.

3. A belt structure for simultaneously providing exercise and affordingbody treatment, comprising a belt proper adapted to be independentlyfastened around the waist of the wearer, handles to be held respectivelyin the hands of the wearer, two sets of flexible strands, said setsbeing respectively connected at one end to the handles and at the otherend to said belt proper at regions of attachment spaced apart from oneanother around said belt proper, and guide elements for the individualstrands mounted on said belt proper whereby said strands are guidedround said belt proper so that the strands of the respective sets extendpast one another in opposite directions alternating with one anotherlaterally of said belt proper, whereby the wearer, by alternatelydrawing said handles away from, and returning them towards, said beltproper, may alternately increase and. decrease the tension thereof.

4. A belt structure for simultaneously providing exercise and affordingbodily treatment, comprising a belt proper adapted to be independentlyfastened around the waist of the wearer, handles to be held respectivelyin the hands of the wearer, two sets of flexible strands, said setsbeing respectively connected at one end to the handles and at the otherend to said belt proper at regions of attachment spaced apart from oneanother around said belt proper, and guide elements for the individualstrands mounted on said belt proper, the guide elements appertaining toone set of strands and the fastening points to said belt proper of theother set of strands being spaced alternately across said belt proper atapproximately the same region, the guide elements of each set beingopposite the fastening points of the other, whereby the wearer, byalternately drawing said handles away from, and returning them towards,said belt proper, may alternately increase and decrease the tensionthereof.

5. A belt structure for simultaneously providing exercise and affordingbody treatment, comprising a belt proper adapted to be independentlyfastened around the waist of the wearer, handles to be held respectivelyin the hands of the wearer, two unit structures carried by said beltproper in spaced relation therearound, each of said structurescomprising a plurality of guide elements and a plurality of fasteningelements spaced a1- ternately transversely of said belt proper with theguide elements of each structure opposite the fastening elements of theother, two sets of flexible strands, said sets being connected at oneend to the respective handles and at the other to the fastening elementsof the respective .unit structures with the strands of each set passingthrough the guide elements of the unit structure other than that towhich fastening elements they are connected, whereby the wearer, byalternately drawing said handles away from, and returning them towards,said belt proper, may alternately increase and decrease the tensionthereof.

6. A belt structure for simultaneously providing exercise and affordingbody treatment, comprising a belt proper adapted to be independentlyfastened around the waist of the wearer, handles to be held respectivelyin the hands of the wearer, two identical unit structures carried bysaid belt proper in spaced relation therearound, each of said structurescomprising a plurality of guide elements and a plurality of fasteningelements spaced alternately transversely of said belt proper and saidunit structures being arranged the reverse way round so that the guideelements of each structure are opposite the fastening elements of theother, two sets of flexible strands, said sets being connected at oneend to the respective handles and at the other to thefastening elementsof the respective unit structures with the strands of each set passingthrough the uide elements of the unit structure other than that to whichfastening elements they are connected, whereby the wearer, byalternately drawing said handles away from, and returning them towards,said belt proper, may alternately increase and decrease the tensionthereof.

7. A belt structure for simultaneously providing exercise and affordingbody treatment, comprising a belt proper adapted to be independentlyfastened around the waist of the wearer, handles to be held respectivelyin the hands of the wearer, flexible strands connected at one end tosaid handles and at the other end to said belt proper at points ofattachment spaced around said belt proper, and pulley wheel guides forsaid strands mounted on said belt proper whereby the strands extendingto the respective handles are guided round said belt proper so that fromtheir points of attachment they extend past one another in 5 oppositedirections.

ARTHUR DANIEL RAWLINGS.

